How to Let Your Slow Computer Run Fast

How to Let Your Slow Computer Run Fast



A computer would generate a great number of junk files that may slow it down over time. Then we need to check our computer and do some work to let it "lose its weight" from time to time.

First, release disk space.

You can release spare disk space by using the Windows built-in disk cleanup to selectively or totally clean the targeted junks including temp Internet files, download files (Microsoft's Actives controls and Java applets scripts), Windows temporary files, unused and optional Windows components, left-off installer as well as emptying the Recycle Bin.

Here are the instructions:

Step 1 Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Disk cleanup, and then select the drive you want to clean up, click OK.

Step 2 Select the options and then the files you want to clean up in the dialog box.

Step 3 Click OK and Yes to confirm these actions.

A few minutes later, when the cleanup is over, you will find your computer system has been improved obviously.

Second, disk fragmentation

Disk fragments would affect the system performance. Too many file fragments would tamper with the computer read-write on the hard disk as well as extend the disk's time of document retrievals and read-write. However, frequent disk fragmentation would bring certain wear and tear to the disk. Generally we recommend to fragment your disk in the following conditions:

1. When you create a mass of files.

2. When you free over 15% disk space.

3. When you install some new programs or a new Windows system.

Specific steps are as bellows:

Step 1 Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Disk Fragmentation.

Step 2 Select the drive you want to tidy up in the Disk Fragmentation dialog box, and click Analyze.

Step 3 Click View Report to read the Analyze Report, if the information suggests that you should fragment this volume, select fragment.

Step 4 When the Fragmentation is complete, you can choose View Report to see the result, and then click Close to finish the checking.

Step 5 Exist the Disk Fragmentation dialog box.

Third, error checking and recovery of bad sectors

Running your error detection program can help you find whether the stored files are missing and then improve your computer performance. If you frequently use your computer, we recommend you should run Error-checking once a week so to avoid data loss.

Prior to running the Error-checking, you should close all running files.

Step 1 Open My Computer, choose the drive you want to detect and right-click it, select Properties.

Step 2 In the Properties sheet select Tools.

Step 3 Select Check Now in the Error-checking section.

Step 4 Choose Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors in the Check Disk box and then click Start.

Step 5 Select OK when the disk check is complete.
By Molly Smith

Twitter translates into Spanish

Twitter translates into Spanish
It's the first of multiple volunteer-assisted translations for the microblogging site, the post explained. A look at Twitter's public timeline will show that it's used in many languages across the world, but until this point, the Twitter.com site has been English only. Now, users can go into their settings to translate it into Spanish.

This could be key as Twitter attempts to grow bigger overseas amid allegations that its traffic has plateaued. Facebook, for example, saw significant growth overseas when it started launching user-translated versions of its site.

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The Latest GPS Navigation Systems Are Equipped With Numerous Facilities Like 3-D Maps, Traffic Alert

Whether you want to visit your favorite deli or take a nice peaceful trip outside the city, your GPS navigator can effectively help you reach your destination faster without needing to sit in traffic for hours. Car GPS navigation systems can help you with maps, turn-by-turn directions and that's not all, it can also guide you towards multiple points of interest.

The latest GPS navigation systems are equipped with numerous facilities like 3-D maps, traffic alerts, easy touch screen, hands free calling etc. Some models also offer FM transmitters; this makes it easier for you to hear alerts and prompts through your own car stereo. Many navigators come equipped with theft prevention features, Bluetooth, and a couple of other helpful features to aid the driver.

There are many vehicles on the market that come equipped with a GPS navigator, however if your car does not come with a GPS navigator, you can consider buying a separate portable unit for yourself. This portable unit can be mounted on the dashboard or windshield of your car.

Here below are some of the features that you should look for when buying a GPS navigation system:

1. Accurate navigation is the most important feature that your GPS should offer; also, it is advisable to go for a navigator that recalculates routes fast.

2. A GPS screen should be easy to touch as well as read. Also, the displays on your navigator should be very clear and sharp. Preferably, pick a model that can be viewed in different lighting conditions, including daylight.

3. Voice command is offered by a few models, this can be helpful as it allows the driver to operate certain functions solely with voice.

4. If you like to do exploring on foot often, it is wiser to consider a lightweight GPS navigator. Although in most cases the cheaper models tend to be lighter, there are a few premium units that are lightweight and easy to carry.

5. Invest in a GPS navigation system that comes equipped with street-level mapping, updating your mapping software can be done for no extra cost.

6. Aside from the basic features of preloaded maps and driving directions, also look for features like Bluetooth and text-to-speech capability.

7. Additional features to look for would be real-time traffic support, FM transmitters and some new models offer MP3 playback for music on the go.

8. Make sure that the GPS has a long battery life, the longer the better. Although, a GPS unit offering a long battery life can be expensive, it will be worth every penny you spend.

9. Before making a decision make sure that the features the unit offers are in perfect working condition, for example it is very important for the pronunciation and sound of the device to be clear otherwise you would end up looking at the unit more often than the road.

Car GPS navigation systems can make car travel easy and hassle free. You no longer need to crack your brains on deciphering complicated directions and maps; you GPS navigator can help you get to your destination safe and sound.

There are many companies offering top-of-the-line products like TomTom, Magellan, Garmin and many more. With so many options, why not go ahead and choose one that suits your driving needs the best to make traveling easier and so much better.

by Des Smalls

Need For Speed Shift - The Pros and Cons

It is true that game graphics presentation calls the attention of gamers. The recent Need for Speed: Shift has brought changes that are featured with amazing graphics, besides the already astonishing graphics of cars, its tracks and lightning effects. The general review is that though the sound is great, a change in the car sound is expected, especially in shift as it sounds too sporty. Also the game has missed remembering the user preferred driving view and this will hamper the gamer as they will find difficult in reaching the top. As a result, the game starts in default driving view and if another view is preferred, this one has to be changed manually in each race which may become annoying.

Need for Speed: Shift has changed considerably in moving things in the game. The tuning has been removed, besides the street circuits, city driving scheme and police chases. The game can be progressed by completing the top 3 challenges and this is followed by one versus one race that involves you with high profile drivers. Winning such races is thrilling as you, the player is given the car used by the other driver, and accomplishing this challenge allows the player to go ahead to the subsequent level of competition. These levels of competition circle continue until the player reaches the ladder top literally and owns all the cars worth owning. This offers a clean way of striving the way up and is very well enjoyed by the players.

The game Need for Speed was owing to the release of successful gaming franchises, and also as it was the forerunner it was paid heavy dividends, besides receiving reviews flowing with tremendous optimistic feedback. Need for Shift known as NFS launched it over iPhone in May 2009 and had a seamless transition, because the game displayed no ill effects even in handheld form, and was regarded to be the wonderful racing games that was available for downloading. Electronic Arts is a Goliath in the gaming industry and is successful from the beginning. However, the current branch is developing the NFS and is releasing every year a new series and this is continuing for the past many years. EA is certain to release the mobile version of NFS and all the future releases as well.

Need for Shift faced certain problems such as the boss fights which gave a feeling of street races. Similarly, another problem is regarding the way this game puts the characteristics that is similar to a driver earning points on every drifting corner. In this manner, the game defines the driver as a clean, careless or aggressive racer, but the quickest way is drifting the corners. In case, the drifting seems to be challenging as you can make use of the handbrake. However, the way that defines the player as a driver is devious here, but as this is a racing game, driving becomes very important and luckily this game is simple to drive.

The steering is accurate and the controls on the PSP game console function perfectly, yet the overall system may be disliked mainly because to get around the corner in a fastest way using the handbrake becomes inevitable. Another very significant point is that the boost button is once again featured in need for speed: shift and this button make the car to go fast for nearly 7 seconds. However, many may find it to be unrealistic and consider it an arcade, but if you like it you might as well enjoy it.

by Roberto Sedycias

Are Solid-State Hard Drives (SSD) In Your Future?

In our computer dependent world, we are always on the lookout for the next "big thing". Often times it has been a new microprocessor from Intel or AMD. However, in recent years, the microprocessor is often not the limiting factor with computer performance.

While hard-drive memory capacities have increased significantly in recent years, the access speed has remained relatively constant. It's an issue/problem fundamental to the technology. The hard-drive is mechanical, and efforts to improve speed have been receiving diminishing returns.

A technology that is competing with the conventional hard-drive (HDD) is the solid-state drive (SSD). An SSD is not mechanical, it is based on "flash memory", the same computer chip technology used to store pictures with your digital camera. An SSD drive was a novelty only 3 years ago, but no longer.

An SSD can outperform conventional mechanical hard drives because it is 4X smaller and lighter, is up to 50X faster, is more reliable because there are no moving parts, produces less heat, and uses less power. SSD drive memory capacity has improved and 250 gigabyte SSD drives are now available. Currently, the drawback is price.

SSD Drives are still more expensive than conventional HDD. An SSD Drive now costs about $2 per gigabyte while a HDD drive costs less than $1 per gigabyte. The price of an SSD continues to improve (SSD drives once sold for more than $25 per gigabyte), and with manufacturing volumes anticipated, the price difference should be further reduced.

Flash memory is capable of a finite number of rewrites to each memory cell (as are conventional hard drives). Significant improvements in the technology have been made in recent years. In addition, Intel developed "load leveling". This technique ensures that all of the memory cells on the SSD receive a similar workload. Most SSD manufacturers now utilize comparable techniques. An SSD should last 10 years or more for the average user.

The primary reason for the rosy future of SSD is access speed. A fast conventional HDD has access times equal to about 5 milliseconds. It sounds fast, but when the microprocessor is capable of millions of instructions per second (MIPS), 5 milliseconds is a bottleneck. SSD can have as little as 100 microsecond access time (50X faster).

An important issue when trying to utilize this SSD speed capability is the potential bottleneck caused by the interface. There are 3 common interfaces used today with SSD drives.

The SATA interface is currently the most common interface used for conventional HDD, but a SATA interface has been limited in total throughput, both send and receive, to about 3 Gbps. This can be too slow for SSD, causing performance disruptions. Some SSD drives are capable of over 5 Gbps throughput.

Seagate Technology, in conjunction with AMD, recently announced the Serial ATA 6-Gbps storage interface, also called SATA Revision 3.0, a next-generation technology that is capable of twice the speed of the fastest SATA interface available today. This technology was demonstrated for conventional hard drives, but has obvious application to the SSD market.

SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) is another interface alternative. SAS is a point-to-point technology with at least four channels. Each channel is capable of throughput of 3 Gbps in each direction (a total of 6 Gbps per channel).

A third alternative is to implement the SSD with a PCI Express interface. A PCI Express interface has unidirectional data paths, one send and one receive, each at 2.5 Gbps for a throughput of 5 Gbps.

It is possible to maximize the performance advantage of the SSD technology with careful selection of the appropriate interface.

Sun Microsystems Endorses SSD

Sun Microsystems, a leading maker of engineering workstations (very high performance computers), is predictably committing strongly to SSD technology. Sun can be seen as a bellwether for the PC industry. If Sun endorses the technology at the current price, as the prices reduce, the technology would logically be utilized by the mainstream PC user. This pattern of adoption has been seen for other new technologies.

Sun has said it is adding SSD technology to its systems to increase their performance for I/O intensive applications. Late last year, Sun introduced SSD in its Amber Road product line. Amber Road is Sun's new line of data storage system. The Amber Road products are selling exceptionally well.

Raymond Austin, group manager for senior product management at Sun said:

SSD technology helps customers achieve up to 65 times faster response times, up to eight times better throughput and up to 38 percent less power consumption than servers with traditional spinning hard disk drives.

An SSD drive will be more tolerant for harsh operating environments and will be more reliable. Computers utilizing SSD drives will experience faster application load times and better overall performance. An SSD drive can emulate a traditional mechanical hard disk drive (HDD). This makes replacing the traditional HDD for an SSD in your current system less complicated. A SSD is probably in your future, the only question is when.

Are Solid-State Hard Drives (SSD) In Your Future?
by Brian_Bradshaw